Adding an Event
The university calendar is used to add an event or important date to not only the University's master calendar, but also able to display events within your specific department or office. Please note that the University Calendar is intended for WPI-affiliated events only.
(If you're posting a non-WPI event that is affiliated with and open to the WPI community or if you are sharing news that does not have a set date and time, create it as an announcement instead.)
Events listings can be simple with just the facts or more robust with content and photos and/or graphics. Once your event has been scheduled or your deadline determined, your next step should always be to add it to the University Calendar.
Before adding your event, please use the Search box on the website to see if your event has already been added by someone else. This will help avoid duplicate events and minimize confusion for our audience.
A few best practice guidelines:
- Keep the title short (less than 90 characters with spaces if possible), specific, and interesting to make the reader want to learn more.
- Content must be original (don’t cut and paste from an existing WPI story or external news article) as that is considered duplicate content (for wpi.edu) or copyright infringement (for external content).
- All University Calendar events must have a location and must include a date and time
- Think of your audience and the information they will need to take action, whether it’s to RSVP, attend an event, etc. Include those details in the event description.
- Don’t be afraid to add images and links to the event.
- Do not post an event and an announcement for the same item. If it has a date or a deadline, it is an event, not an announcement.
What is NOT a calendar event?
- Notices about the timing of an application window for grants, fellowships, competitions, etc. While the final deadline for applying for grant/fellowship/competition could be added as a calendar item, the entire two-month window for applying should not. These types of notices should be added as an announcement.
- A non-WPI sponsored event that a WPI person is involved with (conference, etc.) is listed as an announcement, not an event (events are WPI sponsored only)
Examples of calendar events include:
- Colloquium or seminar
- Conference, symposium, or workshop
- Campus event
- Reception or dinner on campus
- Final deadlines (for applications, nominations, add/drop, housing registration, etc.)
- First or last day of an event (Note: Calendar items longer than 5 days will no longer be accepted into the Drupal system.)
Posting and Tagging Events in Drupal
Watch the below videos to learn how to post your event in Drupal.
Group administrators have access (editing permissions) to work in Drupal, and they are also able to give permission to others in their group to use Drupal.
Choose the WPI websites (such as office/division/department pages) and topics that are appropriate for the posting. Doing so—called tagging—will ensure your announcement/event appears on the correct pages across the wpi.edu website.
Contact media@wpi.edu with questions about what to include in your announcement or if you’d like us to review it.
A few reminders after watching the training video:
- Title/Headline
- Date
- Name of the department making the announcement/event
- Body block: Event copy/text goes here. Any photos, graphics, and links belong in this block.
- Audiences: Choose the target audience for the event. Always include faculty and staff in this area to make sure your information appears in WPI Today.
- Post to Website: Choose the webpages on wpi.edu where you want your event to be listed (for example, Division of Talent & Inclusion, School of Arts & Sciences, Mathematical Sciences, Parents). Think broadly so your information is shared with the wider community.
- Don’t forget to include your own office/department/division.
- Always include “WPI Today” in the “Post to Website” layout option and choose “Faculty” and “Staff” in the “Audience” layout option to make sure your announcement will get automatically pulled into the WPI Today email. These fields will autofill as you type your choices.
- Be sure to include date, time, place, any registration information, and the organizer’s contact information for questions and accessibility needs.
- First be entered into Drupal
- Select Faculty and/or Staff in the “Audience” layout option
- Include WPI Today under the “Post to the Website” layout option so it will get automatically pulled into WPI Today.
All items entered by noon will be included in the following day’s WPI Today email.